will duct tape harm the inside of a computer?

Question

im making a cooler for my graphics card and i put duct tape on it will that mess up anything in my computer?

Answer 1

Increasing the cooling capacity of most video cards is a GOOD idea, and most of mine have hand shaped aluminum heatsinks
on the chip, on the voltage regulator, and on the back of the card,
in the tiny square at the center of the CPU, etc. and extra fans on
the back and front.
I sometimes have to put fans on the edges of the cards since only a few manufacturers put the CPU on the BACK of the card where it should be, to allow bigger heatsinks and fans..
I use plastic sheets to shape air ducts to get the air flowing over the CPU heatsinks area, if the fan ( s ) cannot fit since the AGP card is next to a used PCI card. I generally would not advise DUCT tape, sink it will " FLOW " over time if it gets warm, and fall apart. I do not think it will " damage " anything, but it is just plain poor tape in a warm environment.
What I would recommend, instead, if you are AFFIXING heatsinks and air ducts ( bravo, by the way, most people would not think of it, and I have a couple of cards here that were thrown out by other people because they shipped with undersized heatsinks and fans, and would garble on hot days ),
is to use high TEMPERATURE HOT MELT GLUE. Awsome stuff ,sticks very well to anything, and is solid plastic, so that it does not conduct electricity, and unlike DUCT tape, will not ooze sticky goo. Use the darker, browinish yellow sticks of high temp glue, not the bright white, or clear sticks, since these " dry " to totally NON sticky plastic. These are great if you want a filler, that DOES NOT stick, so that you can remove the glob at a latter date.
Someone will undoubtedly state that hotmelt glue will melt on a heatsink, to which I reply, in advance, that if the heatsink gets as hot at the tip of a gluegun, you are not using a big enough heatsink and fan in the first place!
All my computers are subject to the baby finger test- I hold my finger on all accessible chips on all motherboard, card, and Harddrives, and if I cannot hold my finger on for 15 seconds because of the heat, I cut up aluminum heatsinks, put on heatsink paste, and hotglue the heatsink on. If the chip is a North or Soulthbridge that is really hot, I will add a fan as well.
The last computer I just put together has 3 power supplies and 12 fans.
I use older 386, 486, and odd power supply aluminum, cut to size with a hack saw, to make the custom heatsinks. Again, if air ducting is necessry, I cut out cardboard templates around other
boards and components and make a mock up - and then cut out the final version using plastic sheets. Some clear plastic packaging material ( display packages ) is in large flat sheets, and
I look for other sources such as sheeting used in bathroom upgrades, usually white. I have used aluminum, from sheets used for aluminum custom siding work - you must be careful with aluminum not to short components, since all the boards are covered with bare resistors and capacitors etc...
Getting your Video CPU to run cooler can make a big difference. Why the Video manufacturers ship CPUs that you can cook Steak on, because they run so hot, is anyone's guess. ( You have to buy a new card every year or so since they quit? )
I am removing a tiny heatsink ( that shipped with no fan) on a
card I am about to install, right now. I will put in the biggest heatsink I can find, that overhangs the card about 3 inches, and
on that 3 inches, put on a large fan. On the back of the card, I cut a square, flat piece of aluminum, that exactly fits the square center of the CPU area, usually surrounded with surface mount resistors and capacitors ( so you cant put on a full heatsink ). That aluminum square is just higher than the capacitors, and covered with heatsink paste on both sides. I then hotmelt a big heatsink and small fan on top, and the board is then cooled on the back. Some cards, like the BLUE Hercules card,started to do the same thing, right from the factory, and now, the CPU's themselves are on the back, so that you are not crammed into the tiny space between the AGP /( PCIX ) and the next PCI.

The Ducttape will not do any immediate damage, but, if hot enough over time, will just " flow " and whatever you are holding together will come apart....

I have also used the ALUMINUM heating and ventilation tape, to do air duct work, and other sealing inside a computer. There is a problem in that the tape, on the top side is METAL, so again, you have to be certain that you dont short electrical components, BUT, the huge advantage is that the glue, unlike DUCT tape, is designed for furnaces, and will not flow and ooze around. This tape is harder to find ( I just got 2 rolls, of all place, at a dollar store ), and usually very expensive, since it is primarily used in the " TRADES ". I have paid $20 for a roll ( the dollar store rolls were thin, short rolls, but who cares, -- I don't use that much )

Try to make certain, that, for all your efforts, you have enough air comming in your case, to get rid of the heat that you are removing from the video card, etc. I usually drill a pattern of holes in the front, bottom, plastic of the case, and put in one or two or three fans. I would also add exhaust fans - to suit - on the back.

Many people remove, or disconnect fans since they dont like the noise, but reliability is more important to me than noise level.
Removing the pre-drilled fan hole grating in the front and back - I use tinsnips or a nibbler, - and make a complete round air hole for the fan,- will cut down the noise by a HUGE factor, so the fans are not that bad in the first place.

Hope this helps.... It is good to see someone " thinking" about removing excess heat from the video card.. your reliability of the card will go way up....

Another tip.... I remove the aluminum round namebrand tag on the fan wiring side, and ... if it is not a true ball bearing assembly,
fill the brass bearing cavity with auto motor oil to just BELOW
the top edge. ( If the motor oil can lubricate your car engine at 2000 degrees under explosions, it can handle your fan ). Then I cut a two inch piece of QUALITY black electrical tape ( there are two grades, the cheap no name stuff, and the certified, oil and temperature resistant stuff ) and carefully put on the tape. I then cut the tape to fit the round fan center, with an exacto knife. This method allows you to put on the tape ... FLAT, once, since any
oil touching the tape during installation immediately travels all over the tape, and destroys the seal. If put on cleanly, the tape is
as good as the factory seal. The fans are permanantly oiled for the life of the computer ( unlike the factory "oil" which is usually a dab of green blue or white grease on the end of the shaft, where it does nothing... )

Have fun

robin

PS if you have other points on this subject, please add a note, and I will check back...

Answer 2

Give me a can of WD-40 and a roll of duct tape and I'll fix anything! No, don't do that! Get a different graphics card, or add a case fan.

Answer 3

no... duct tape is pretty tough.. and isnt affected by heat much.. unless it is extreme heat.. but the only problem is that duct tape can build up static electricity and once anything i mean ANYTHING gets shocked by even the slightest zap... its will never work AGAIN. so i suggest u get some good parts or get pro service... remembr... u get what u pay for.

Answer 4

duct tape will fix anything!!

Answer 5

maybe... maybe not

Answer 6

fire waiting to happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!